David W. Zierk, PsyD

Some things work; some work even better.

Waiting for inspiration is nerve-racking and baffling. A lightbulb moment or flash of brilliance comes now and again, but we crave it sooner and more frequently. Hence, our nerves fray and our minds fluster when we hit a rough patch or skid into writer’s block because inspiration seems light-years away. It seems the more we crave creativity, the more it evades us.

This is puzzling, for sure.

Creativity comes in all shapes and sizes. At its peak, we reserve notable names, such as masterpiece, an American treasure, magnum opus, tour de force, and the Nobel Prize. We offer award-winning labels like blue ribbons, trophies, kudos, and gold stars on a smaller scale. Then there are the consolation awards of booby prizes, participation ribbons, and bronze medals, you know, for those whose medals are never remembered.

Creativity is like catching lightning in a bottle. When the magical moment strikes, the skies open, a divine light beams, and angels in heaven sing.. But waiting for such groundbreaking moments causes time to stand still, and we’re left wondering if the Gods above have abandoned us. Sitting in the middle of nowhere, waiting for the inner fire to light, a question arises.

“How to awaken inspiration?”

While innovation seems like a rare experience, it can be coaxed with practice. That’s right, you don’t have to wait for Wah-lah! But patience is required. When you get into the habit of exercising your creative side, fresh thoughts and ideas show up. Of course, not all your original thinking will be mind-boggling and jaw-dropping. That’s the point.

Mind Dumping, Not Brainstorming

Practicing having great ideas starts with not lowering your expectations; obliterating them. The path to Leapin’ Lizards! is not linear, logical, or predictable. Instead, it’s provocative and playful. Much more is happening in your mind than reflected by your production. Permitting yourself to access your mind differently and letting what’s discovered spill out is called mind dumping. If brainstorming is intended to solve problems, then mind dumping is about tinkering, dabbling, and doodling to see what happens next.

Tapping into this creative spirit requires a different mindset, and here it is.

Creativity finds you; you don’t find creativity.

This mindset encourages you to let go of the Promised Land Thinking Syndrome. Rather than doing things so something happens, keep opening new doors for the sake of having them open. Let go of your telescopic dream of expecting the next great idea behind one of the doors. It either will be or won’t; that’s the creative mindset in action. Paradoxically, creativity follows moments of stillness, optimized by being present.

From a practical perspective, here’s something you can try. Practice generating ideas without considering their value. Remember that all ideas are promising because they lead to the next thought, the next one, the next, and so on. Generate for the sake of generating. To help you embrace this mindset, think of the activity of riding a stationary bike. Effort is required. How much effort is exerted is up to you. But the point of stationary riding is exercise, not to get anywhere.

The next phase of practicing creativity requires you to suspend judgment. Doing so is both complex and tricky. As humans, judging is as natural as eating. We all do it, many times too often. Since the opposite of judgment is learning, focusing on what you don’t yet know is needed. Let me share some ideas on how to grease the wheels.

Having rebellious thoughts loosens the grip judgment has on your thinking. “Rebellious” means actively disobeying the mental rules established by your upbringing. Releasing yourself from the life lessons you learned during times you didn’t know you were being taught is thinking rebelliously, independent from your history. For instance, if you lean toward perfectionism, this was learned long ago. Internalizing high standards was something you mastered during your developmental years, and it stuck. Without requiring years of psychoanalysis, knowing when you are setting the bar extremely high allows you to giggle when your mind dumping falls below expectations. Giggling represents you defiantly pushing back on your tendency to judge. Giggling works for two reasons. One, humor creates a pause that lets you fill it in with something new. Second, you can’t giggle and judge simultaneously, at least not genuinely.

As another example, if you grew up believing it’s bad to color outside the lines, challenge yourself by disobeying your internalized rule. While there’s no guarantee that you’ll find inspirational gold by coloring this new way, what is known is that you’ll have a new experience. Again, that’s the point of mind dumping. Remember, creativity is about being provocative and playful, a dynamic duo.

Summing Up and Moving On

Practicing creativity is as tricky as you imagine or as easy as changing the question “Why” to “Why not?” In addition, as you become accustomed to practicing creativity, you’ll learn that some things work, and some work even better. Enjoy mind dumping, suspending judgment, having rebellious thoughts, and striking gold.

Remember, the mind expands by learning. When you open your mind to new experiences, your perspective shifts, and creativity may emerge. So, our challenge begins. Ask yourself, “Who’s in control— this is where you or your mind?”

Press the button below to learn more about how your mind works as described in Dr. Zierk’s book, Mind Rules: Who’s in Control, You or Your Mind?